Action was published in 222 editions between February 1936 and June 1940 under the direction of Oswald Mosley. Action was one of a small group of ultra-nationalist publications produced in Britain in the thirties; only one complete set of Action survives today. The six complete editions reproduced here are all from 1936 and are taken from the master copy set retained by the printers. They represent an intriguing insight into a fascinating episode in the political and social history of the United Kingdom at a portentous moment.
Mosley is today viewed as a figure of the extreme right although he himself always denied that the politics of his movement were right wing, describing himself as essentially left wing in his political orientation. However, it is difficult, if not impossible, for a modern reader to comprehend the British Union of Fascists in any other light. If one examines the Mosley claim at literal face value there was clearly some measure of justification for this statement. In common with Hitler's National Socialist Workers Party there were a number of genuinely socialist initiatives which formed the political creed and much of what you will read in these pages would be equally at home in the pages of the left wing press. However, as a result of their nationalist and racist policies, the historical consensus has placed Hitler and Mussolini firmly on the right of the political spectrum and by association Mosley will forever be an iconic figure representing the most identifiable figure on the extreme right wing of British politics.
The six complete editions of Action re-printed here provide a fascinating glimpse into the British version of nationalist politics at a time when such sentiments enjoyed real currency throughout Europe. The events of the infamous Cable Street riots are presented from the perspective of the British Union of Fascists. It is to be hoped that these reproductions will provide a fascinating primary source reference for historians, sociologists, students of politics and general readers and further our understanding of an all too often overlooked chapter of British political history.
